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Friday, August 22, 2014

New Delhi, Aug. 21: The government is planning to set up a commission for the country’s hundred million senior citizens who would finally have a forum they can call their own to voice complaints of abuse and negligence.

The draft National Commission for Senior Citizens Bill, 2014 — which the social justice ministry has sent to several NGOs — gives the proposed panel powers to “investigate” all matters relating to safeguards provided for senior citizens.

At present, matters concerning those who are 60 and above are addressed through the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007. Through this act, the elderly can seek maintenance under Section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code and the National Policy for Older Persons, 1990.

What the draft bill proposes is an exclusive panel with powers of a civil court to look after the legal and societal rights of senior citizens.

The proposal for such an empowered panel has come four years after a committee appointed by the ministry in 2010 to review the 1990 policy recommended one where the elderly could file complaints.

“We had recommended such commissions should exist at the central as well as the state level. We have about 104 million elderly in the country and by 2050 the number will be 320 million,” said K.R. Gangadharan, global president of the International Federation on Ageing and a member of the 2010 committee.

The proposed bill — a copy is with The Telegraph — says the functions of the commission will include taking cognisance of matters related to “deprivation of senior citizens’ rights”. According to the draft, the commission will have all the powers of a civil court to access public records and “summon” witnesses from “any part of India and examining him on oath”.

Gangadharan said he understood the concerns of those who think the panel would be “another of the several toothless commissions we already have”.

“But something is better than nothing. The aspect of elderly abuse needs much more consultations. Unlike in the West, parents in India don’t want to bring charges against their children even when they are abused. The commission will address this problem,” he said, adding that activists would recommend a provision for “compensation”.

None of the commissions in the country, except the National Human Rights Commission, has the power to compensate victims.

According to the bill, the proposed commission would also have the powers to:

• Periodically inspect jails or remand homes where the aged might be kept as prisoners, or otherwise, to ensure there are no rights violations;

• Fund litigation involving issues affecting a large body of senior citizens; and

• Appoint committees to identify factors that affect the elderly.

Finally, this one is for those who think the elderly have outlived their utility: the panel will propose ways to increase the productivity of senior citizens.

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Dahisar, Mumbai senior citizens take the sting out of mosquito menace.

20-member team, formed
by BMC, detects over a hundred breeding spots in the western suburbs.
Municipal corporation plans to introduce project in other wards too.

In a bid to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in homes and housing
societies, as well as to spread awareness about preventing dengue and
malaria, the BMC last month roped in senior citizens for the task in a
pilot project at Dahisar.

The move followed complaints from
BMC's staff, who said they face problems in entering flats to carry out
inspections as people, particularly in high-rises, are reluctant to let
them in. But, as people are familiar with senior citizen of their
societies, they let them enter their homes.

The 20-member team
at Dahisar detected over a hundred breeding spots in their vicinity
since joining the campaign, and will now continue in other areas of the
locality too. With the move proving a success, BMC plans to introduce it
in other wards as well.

The project was launched early July,
and the senior citizens were trained by health officials of BMC's
R-North Ward, on how to detect as well as prevent breeding spots. The
volunteers were also taught to identify various types of mosquitoes and
the diseases they cause, including the symptoms of dengue and malaria.
The training included a documentary on prevention of vector borne
diseases. Once done, they were asked to visit homes, point out breeding
spots and make residents aware of how to prevent diseases.

"Dengue and malaria has always been an issue in our locality. Most cases
are reported from high-rises where mosquitoes breed in flower pots, AC
ducts, etc," said local Shiv Sena corporator Sheetal Mhatre.

"Most homes are shut during the day when BMC's staff are on inspection
rounds, and even if people are at home they don't let them in. But, as
they recognise senior citizen of their societies, they welcome them,"
Mhatre said. "Residents think that breeding sites are far away from
their own premises, hence this initiative has made a huge difference to
BMC's efforts," Mhatre added.

Following the onset of monsoon,
the Public Health Department created a mascot named 'Machchar Man' and
put up hundreds of posters featuring him across the city. The posters,
in Hindi and Marathi, drew attention to vector-borne diseases and how to
control and prevent them. Seeking the help of senior citizens is part
of BMC's larger anti-mosquito campaign.

"It was a good
experience. As we've been living here for years, most people knew us. So
when we knocked on doors, they let us in," said volunteer Bhupendra
Chitalia, 72, a businessman from Anand Nagar in Dahisar.

"Most
residents were unaware that they were breeding mosquitoes in their
homes. We discovered many spots in AC ducts, decorative pots, vases and
fish tanks. Most residents willingly got rid of such items, others
promised to do so. We also urged children to take up the responsibility
of destroying breeding spots, and made them understand the importance of
keeping the premises clean," said Shyam Patel, 65, a resident of Riddhi
Siddhi Apartments in Dahisar's CF Complex.

"The only way to
prevent dengue and malaria is by clearing all breeding sites. This is
possible only if residents back us," a BMC official said. "The senior
citizens drive has been a success, we are likely introduce it in other
wards too."

The government has constituted an inter-ministerial committee to
pursue implementation of the recommendations of an Expert Committee,
seeking "third gender" status for transgenders, Lok Sabha was informed
on Tuesday.

Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Sudarshan
Bhagat, in a written in Lok Sabha said the key recommendation of the
Committee formed by the government was that the transgender should be
declared as third gender.

He said the other recommendations include access to health-care,
educational opportunities at all levels without stigma and
discrimination, formulation of umbrella schemes and others. The Supreme Court in its judgment had directed the Centre and state
governments to take steps for framing various social welfare schemes for
betterment of transgender persons, take proper measures to provide
medical care, hospital and others.

"The expert committee has recommended a state level authority duly
designated or constituted by the respective states/UTs on the lines of
Tamil Nadu Transgender Welfare Board. "An Inter-Ministerial committee has been constituted to pursue
implementation of Expert Committee's recommendations," Bhagat said.

The minister said the Court has further directed to examine the
recommendations of the Expert Committee based on legal declaration made
in its judgement and implement them.

Replying to another question, he said that "keeping in view the
socio-cultural-economic and technological developments in the last
decade, the National Policy on Older Persons (NPOP), 1999 is being
revised by the department of Social Justice and Empowerment to include
promotion of measures to create avenues for continuity in employment or
post retirement opportunities for senior citizens".

Bhagat said the NPOP, 1999 recognises that 60 plus phase of life is a
huge untapped resource and proposes that facilities be provided to
senior citizens so that their potential is utilised.

To carry forward the spirit of the policy, various programmes like
computer training for senior citizens, school programme for
inter-generational bonding are being carried out.

The ministry of social justice and welfare has proposed the formation
of a national commission for senior citizens to better protect the
rights of the elderly.

India's elderly population, 60 years and above, was close to 10.4
crore, according to the 2011 census. It is expected to touch 32 crore by
2050. The need for a senior citizens' commission is tremendous, say
activists, who have been demanding the formation of such a commission
since 2010. On February 7, a Parliamentary standing committee report had
recommended the formation of the commission for senior citizens.

The draft bill for the National Commission for Senior Citizens lists
the proposed commission's responsibilities. These involve looking into
matters of deprivation of senior citizens' rights, taking suo moto
cognisance of their human rights violations and making recommendations
to relevant authorities to take action. The proposed commission will
inspect old-age homes, prisons and remand homes to see if their rights
are being violated.

"While we already have a commission for children and another one for
women, the elderly, whose population is touching 12 crore, do not have a
commission. The proposal for forming a commission is a welcome move,"
said Dr Aabha Chaudhary, chairperson, Anugraha, a Delhi-based non-profit
for the elderly.

Anugraha is one of the 17 organisations and individuals to have
received an email, a copy of which is with dna, from the ministry of
social justice and welfare that contains the five-page draft bill. Among
the other recipients are Dignity Foundation, Tata Institute of Social
Sciences and HelpAge. The August 12 mail from the ministry's deputy
secretary Surendra Rawat, says, "You are requested to furnish your
comments/suggestions on the draft Bill by August 20 positively through
e-mail, failing which it will be presumed that you have no comments to
offer."

This has irked some activists who feel the draft bill should be
widely circulated for diverse opinions to help constitute a stronger
commission. For instance, the ministry has ignored one of the biggest
elderly confederations — All India Senior Citizens Confederation.
AISCCON has a membership of over 15 lakh senior citizens. Similarly,
members of the National Council of Senior Citizens, which was formed by
the Central government, too were left out of the consultation.

"All NGOs, federations, geriatricians, senior citizens, legal
professionals, women, youth should be consulted before the finalisation
of a draft bill," said Dr SP Kinjawadekar, ex-president, AISCCON. "We
never received any communication regarding the formation of the National
Commission from the ministry. Also eight days notice is too short for a
response. The dates should be extended."

Experts said that the commission should have teeth and all stake
holders should be consulted before it's formation. "While the number for
elder abuse cases are rising especially in the rural areas, the
Maintenance and Welfare Act for Senior Citizens, 2007 is yet to
percolate to the last person. A commission will define the roles to be
played by NGOs, police and the ministry and act as a nodal agency for
redress of complaints," said Sailesh Mishra, founder, Silver Inning
Foundation.

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

The sellout success of almost every new launch is testament to that. In reality, it is probably time for the Government to listen to calls from the industry for new, more flexible planning rules when it comes to retirement properties.

After all, purpose-built new retirement villages, often with care homes at their centre, not only help to relieve local authorities of some of the demands placed on them by an ageing population but also free up much-needed family homes. Average life expectancy in the UK has risen to 78.7 years for men and 82.6 years for women, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Many of these older people are stuck in oversized, unmanageable homes that they would dearly like to sell if they could find somewhere suitable to live. The idea is that retirees swap older, high-maintenance homes with oversized gardens for hassle-free, modern architecture, giving them an easy life with concierges and care facilities on hand. The new generation of retirement village developers is addressing just this need.

One example is Wadswick Green, a contemporary retirement village in the heart of the Wiltshire countryside which will provide some reasonably affordable units as well as aspiration new homes for the over-60s. Prices start at £290,000. In what is a new departure for the market, these homes are also being aimed at a younger generation of 40 and 50-year-olds who, as of next April, will be able to control their pensions instead of having to buy an annuity.

It is expected that a good number of such people will opt for a buy-to-let property to supplement or even provide their pension. So why not a retirement home? There is a good rental market for them and, as Wadswick Green developer Rangeford Holdings suggests, investors may even eventually move into their investment property.

Peter Ford, chairman of Rangeford Holdings, said: “Older people are likely to be investing in property with their newly freed-up annuity cash following the Government’s recent reform and Wadswick Green is providing them with an opportunity to take stock of their changing living requirements and move to a stunning location and have a high quality of life.

“We expect interest from the baby boomer generation who own 40 per cent of the £2.5trillion tied-up in property.”

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